Chapter 1: No Ordinary Nutcracker
It was a pleasant winter morning within the kingdom of Misthaven and both Clara and her Aunt Elizabeth were in the village doing some last minuet Christmas shopping,
"Surely we have everything on your list by now, Aunt Elizabeth" Clara said whilst awkwardly carrying a large collection of parcels,
"It never hurts to do an extra bit of Christmas shopping, Clara" she told her with an excited tone as they entered the toy shop and began looking around whilst Clara placed the parcels carefully by the door before beginning to walk around the shop, having a look at the freshly carved toys as she did.
Clara's eyes fell on a festive Nutcracker that stood proudly upon the surface of the counter and she smiled softly before picking him up carefully,
"He's wonderful" she said more to herself as she moved his arm up and then down which enabled his mouth to open and close,
"Perhaps but he's not my best work" the toy maker said with a grumble, going to take him from Clara but she gently took a step back, holding the nutcracker to her chest,
"No... He's perfect. I'd like to buy him if that's ok" she said gently and she couldn't help but notice the toy maker's slight frustration and anger,
"... I suppose that wouldn't be a problem... Allow me to wrap him up for you" he offered, holding his hands out for the nutcracker and she reluctantly handed him over and the toy maker got a box from beneath the counter and some tissue paper to wrap the toy in safely but Clara's face dropped when she heard a sickening crack,
"Oh dear... See, I told you he was not my best work" the toy maker said whilst holding up the nutcracker's wooden hand that had accidentally snapped off but Clara stepped up to the counter, taking the wooden hand as well as the nutcracker from the man's hands with a firm expression,
"It's quite alright... I'll fix him when I get home" she said before placing some coins on the counter and looked towards her Aunt,
"Can I go ahead home?... I'll get some hot chocolate ready for us on the stove" she said and her aunt nodded with a smile; Clara was quick to hurry out the door with the toy maker glaring after her,
"Pleasure doing business with you... Dearie" he practically growled as she left.
It was a few hours later that you could find Clara sitting by the fireplace on the couch as she tried to reattach the nutcracker's hand only to now avail and she sighed sadly,
"I'm sorry but don't worry. I'll take you to the carpenter's as soon as he is reopen. I'm sure he can reattach your hand and make you as good as new" she said encouragingly and the firelight caused the nutcracker's glass eyes to dance... Making it look as if the nutcracker had... Winked at her and Clara shook her head quickly brushing the idea away from her mind but she smiled softly, placing the wooden hand, safely away within her sewing box for safe keeping before placing the nutcracker on the table next to her,
"Goodnight, Nutcracker" she bid with a soft smile and pressed a soft kiss to his wooden cheek before laying her head down on the couch and soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
It was as the clock struck midnight and Clara still continued to sleep peacefully, not seeing her nutcracker begin to glow as a dark shadow approached the toy,
"I knew I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance" the shadow growled but the Nutcracker smirked up at the figure,
"Not today, Crocodile" he returned, jumping from the table but the dark figure caught him in a magical hold,
"It's a good thing you're made of wood. The fire can finish you off for me" the figure said with an evil smirk on his face and used his magic to dangle the nutcracker above the fireplace,
"NO!" Clara yelled having woken from her sleep and she tackled the dark figure to the ground, knocking the Christmas tree over as she did so and the nutcracker landed safely in a pile of soot and the intruder growled,
"You're going to regret that, Dearie" the man growled,
"Leave he be, Dark one!" the nutcracker yelled as Clara looked up at the golden scaled creature with a terrified expression,
"Do you really think you're a match for me, little mouse?... Hmmmm, That seems like a good idea" he said smugly before waving his hand causing Clara to begin glowing and her body shrank but before the dark one could bring his foot down upon her; The Nutcrack grabbed her hand within his wooden own,
"Run!" he yelled before pulling her to safety within a mouse hole in the skirting board,
"NO!" the dark one yelled in frustration, launching after them but it was too late and he growled before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.
Clara was still shaking in fear as The Nutcracker checked the coast was clear,
"Wh... Who was that?" she asked timidly,
"The dark one. I trust you'd heard of him" the wooden toy replied before smiling as he pulled the hook from a broken bauble and placed it over his bare wooden wrist,
"He... The dark one?... Yes, I've heard of him but... Why was he trying to kill you?... Plus he ruined your uniform" she said sadly and the nutcracker looked down at what had been a painted navy uniform but had been turned black due to the soot he had landed in,
"It's no problem. I think it makes me look even more dashing, don't you think, lass?" he enquired with a charming smirk,
"This isn't funny, Nutcracker!" Clara yelled causing the toy to chuckle,
"My name isn't Nutcracker" he told her but Clara was still freaking out that she didn't hear him talking,
"What if he comes back?" she asked in a worried tone,
"Don't worry. We'll be long gone before he comes back" the nutcracker assured before beginning the journey further into the mouse hole's darkness,
"What do you mean we?... Can't you turn me back?... You know... To my normal size?" she asked with desperate awkwardness,
"I'm afraid not. Only the Sugarplum Princess has the power to break the dark one's spell but she lives within the kingdom of SugarCane" the nutcracker told her,
"The... Sugarplum Princess?" she pressed skeptically and her nutcracker chuckled,
"Yes I know it sounds ridiculous but she's your only hope of regaining your true form. She's also the only way I can once again become Human" the nutcracker told her as she absentmindedly followed him,
"You were human?" she asked,
"Yes... The name's Killian" he introduced,
"And who might you be?" he asked,
"I... I'm Clara" she answered, looking around the surrounding darkness timidly,
"If we have to travel to the kingdom of SugarCane then..." she tried,
"Why are we going further into a mouse hole?" he finished for her,
"Well, the Kingdom of SugarCane is filled with villages of candy, sweets and treats which the residents are very proud and protective of. However the kingdom's mice and rats use various tunnels and portals to travel to this world to steal food" Killian told her,
"So this mouse hole is really a... AHHHHHHHH!" she cried out suddenly as both she and the nutcracker suddenly fell into a swirling portal before landing in a freezing pile of snow and ice.
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Kind Regards,
TheAuthor1996
